Sunday, April 11, 2010

Response: What to write about myself?

I always run into this problem. It happens in cover letters, interviews and resumes. I can make them all look pretty, but I have no idea what to say in the meat of the body copy. It's not that I am bad at writing what I am thinking, I just don't know what to say about myself. In the "about me" section of my Web site, I am running into the same problem. Well, right now I feel inspired. I am applying for a job I really want, and the first job that has actually asked for editing clips. I have them, but they are kind of old. I took copy editing a year ago (ok, not that old). Looking back over them tonight, I was inspired to write about myself, and, yes, I am doing it in a kind of roundabout way. I did need an intro before my blabbering about myself though...

I realized that I am a rare breed. I love design. I love color, typography, grids and breaking grids. I could read design blogs all day, be inspired by others' work and buy a magazine just because of how clean it is on the inside. On the other side, though, is this love of grammar, editing and language. Most of my life I wanted to be an English teacher, then it changed to journalism teacher, then journalist, now a designer. The funny part is that I think I have changed my mind again. Well, kind of. I want to be a designer, but I also want to be an editor. I feel exhilarated when I can start with a muddy memoir, scrub all the comma splices, word usage errors and other things out of it and end up with a beautifully written piece that still maintains the authors' voice. I might not be the best editor, and I might not be the best designer, but I think that with the combination of skills that I have cultivated throughout the years, I have a great chance of getting this job. I am good at what I do, and the best part is that I love doing it.

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About Me

I am a newspaper designer and forever a word nerd living in Des Moines, Iowa. Briefly, the Mizzou Tigers are my team, I am addicted to entertainment news and I love to travel.
I'm Lyndsey. Nice to meet you.